


The Loth-Cat’s Out of the Bag

by Rebelwerewolf



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff and Crack, Force Choking, Jealousy, M/M, Poor Dopheld Mitaka, Pre-Canon, Prompt Fill, Secret Relationship, Team Building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 14:56:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10993251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebelwerewolf/pseuds/Rebelwerewolf
Summary: Prompt: "jealous Hux or Kylo which leads to the rest of the Finalizer finding out they are in a relationship"





	The Loth-Cat’s Out of the Bag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Magicandmalice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magicandmalice/gifts).



One of the perks of dating the General was knowing about meeting agendas beforehand. Of course, Kylo also had to put up with Hux checking emails on his datapad in bed, setting alarms for way too early in the morning, and scolding him for not attending the aforementioned meetings. It was more or less an even trade, unless Kylo accounted for that weak-kneed feeling he got whenever Hux smiled. Kylo would endure any amount of petty bureaucratic nonsense for that smile.  
  
On this particular morning, there was an officers’ team building meeting scheduled to start at 0700. It was 0705, and Kylo Ren lay in bed, contentedly missing the ice breaker portion of the meeting. It was all bullshit anyway — people would make small talk about their families and their hobbies. Kylo had nothing to say on either of those topics. He was estranged from his family, and his hobbies consisted of training in the Force and hanging out with his boyfriend, whom no one could ever know he was dating. Both he and Hux were respected and feared leaders, and they made a point of disagreeing with each other very loudly in public. If anyone found out that, behind closed doors, they kissed, cuddled, and shouted “yes” at each other very loudly, that would surely damage their reputations.  
  
That was the excuse that Kylo repeated to himself while he took a leisurely shower, blow-dried his hair, and rummaged through Hux’s wardrobe for clean underwear and socks. His lateness was certainly not due to the fact that he was not a morning person and was still bitter that Hux had chosen such an early start time despite Kylo’s protests.  
  
He opted to wear a shorter, more breathable tunic rather than his outdoor gear, but he secured his helmet on his head as usual. He liked the barrier it provided between him and the world. Others couldn’t read his overly-expressive face and the emotions he displayed on it. He could read their thoughts using the Force. It was a good advantage to have. The helmet had the added bonus of reminding him of his grandfather; even if he wasn’t as powerful as Darth Vader yet, at least he had the outfit down.  
  
The meeting was well underway when Kylo entered the room. The tables were arranged in a U-shape, and the officers stood in the center of the conference room in a clump. Their hands were linked, and they were slowly trying to untangle themselves.  
  
“You’re late, Ren,” said Hux. He glared at Kylo. Everyone else averted their eyes.  
  
Kylo made no move to join them. Instead, he walked to the back of the room, where there was a small table set up with caf and donuts. He poured some caf into a disposable cup and added a generous portion of blue cream and a packet of sugar. He couldn’t understand how Hux managed to drink the stuff by itself. The taste reminded Kylo of the time he had accidentally swallowed some X-Wing fuel when he was a boy.  
  
He peered into the donut box and muttered an expletive. There was a only half a donut left, a sad, smushed pastry that someone else had ripped in half with their hands, leaving clearly visible finger indentations. _Oh well, better than nothing_ , Kylo thought.  
  
He glanced around the room furtively, making sure that the officers were all too engrossed in their little activity to notice him taking off his helmet. He didn’t like being helmetless in public; it made him feel too naked, too _human_. But he also couldn’t eat or drink with it on, and he hadn’t eaten breakfast. Kylo dunked the donut half into his coffee and shoved it all in his mouth at once.  
  
Kylo was facing the back wall as he sipped his lukewarm caf, still attempting to hide his face, when a sharp giggle from the group of officers grabbed his attention. A dark-haired officer with beige skin that clearly hadn’t seen sunlight recently — Kylo couldn’t remember his name, but he was wearing a lieutenant’s insignia on his uniform — was tangled in the middle of the human knot. Kylo scowled as he watched the lieutenant’s writhing backside, mere centimeters away from Hux.  
  
Mostly, Kylo was annoyed at himself for feeling jealous. Surely this was nothing. Even if small, dark, and giggly was trying to flirt, Hux would never do something as unprofessional as hooking up with someone under his command. Still, Kylo made sure the two men were separated with no inappropriate touching before turning back toward the wall to finish his caf. He crushed the empty cup with the Force and dunked it, harder than necessary, into the trash can, before cramming his helmet back onto his head and stalking toward the others.  
  
“Eight minutes and thirty two seconds,” Hux was announcing as Kylo joined the group. Hux flipped through some records on his datapad. “That is a three percent improvement from the last human knot team building exercise, which puts us in the 99th percentile. Well done.”  
  
“Is there an award, sir?” squeaked the mousy lieutenant. Kylo rolled his eyes.  
  
Hux clicked the heels of his boots together and stood up even straighter, looking down his nose at the lieutenant. “No, Mitaka, there is not. The ‘award’ is knowing that our team of officers is functioning smoothly, and should there be an incident, which there will not be, you will most likely all survive.”  
  
“Sir,” Mitaka said dejectedly, sagging under the weight of Hux’s disapproval. Kylo smiled. He could be certain now that the little man was not a threat.  
  
“Our next team building exercise,” Hux continued as if Mitaka had not interrupted, “will be trust falls. Ren will help me demonstrate, now that he’s finally joined us.” Hux flicked his gaze toward Kylo in a way that was probably intended as disdainful, but instead it made Kylo flush beneath his mask. He was reminded of the times that Hux showed up in his quarters with a similar snooty expression, only to drop the facade as soon as the doors closed.  
  
Kylo snapped out of his pleasant daydream as Hux began his trust fall without so much as a warning. _That smug bastard!_ Kylo waited an instant longer than his instincts told him to but still caught Hux easily, using the Force to suspend him in midair.  
  
There was a shrill cry, and a scrawny body barreled its way past Kylo, almost causing him to lose his concentration and drop Hux. It was Mitaka. He positioned himself between Hux and the floor, throwing his arms around Hux and shouting, “I’ve got you, General, sir!”  
  
Kylo gritted his teeth in annoyance. “I got him first,” he said slowly, evenly through his vocoder. It still came out sounding a bit childish. His mouth gaping open like a clueless fish, Mitaka looked at Hux, then at Kylo, and then back at Hux as if beseeching him for help.  
  
Hux righted himself — for his slender, soft appearance, the man had a surprising amount of core strength — and shooed Mitaka’s hands away from his waist. “I do believe I instructed _Ren_ to catch me.”  
  
“Sorry, sir,” Mitaka stammered. “It didn’t look like he was going to —”  
  
“Have you heard of the Force, Mitaka? Lord Ren is one of the last remaining Force users and perfectly capable of using it to lift me.” The officers looked mildly amused at the wording of Hux’s statement. A few of them were sharing suspicious glances that made Kylo uneasy.  
  
“I can lift anyone,” Kylo quickly interjected, holding up a hand for emphasis. He darted his eyes toward Hux, who seemed to relax a little.  
  
“Sorry,” Mitaka apologized again. “I didn’t know the Force worked like that.”  
  
“Right,” said Hux, clasping his hands behind his back. “Form a circle. We will all take turns falling. The person currently standing to your right will catch you. Mitaka, stand next to Ren.” Hux deliberately made eye contact with Kylo before saying the last sentence of his instructions. “He will catch you using the Force.”  
  
The trust fall exercise proceeded as terribly as the demonstration. The young, blond officer standing next to Captain Phasma spectacularly failed at being able to hold the combined weight of both Phasma and her full suit of chrome armor. They landed on the floor with a thump and a clang.  
  
It served as a good reminder to Kylo to choose someone who was actually strong enough to catch him. He knew from a previous experience involving far too much Corellian whiskey that Hux could, with some difficulty, hold him upright. However, he was concerned that it would look unseemly if he chose Hux, so he settled upon the only other person in the room that he trusted not to drop him — Captain Phasma, who was capable of benching Kylo’s weight almost thrice over. He knew this because, despite his best efforts, Phasma held every single lifting record in the Finalizer gym.  
  
He bumped Mitaka, who was hovering around him like a nervous hummingbird, out of the way with his shoulder, ignoring the smaller man’s indignant squawks, and situated himself next to Phasma. “Captain. I want you to catch me.”  
  
Even behind her shiny helmet, Kylo could tell that Phasma was smiling. “What, you mean you don’t want to be dropped?” She turned her head to look pointedly at the skinny boy who had failed to catch her. He paled, no small feat given his pallor from living aboard a spaceship, and averted his gaze.  
  
Kylo had been correct about Phasma’s physical abilities. Not only did she catch him, she pushed his dead weight back upright to a standing position. When he and Hux had first started dating, Kylo had been worried about the close friendship between Hux and Phasma. They had attended the Academy together, and she was the First Order’s most formidable warrior, the Knights of Ren notwithstanding. Fortunately for Kylo, Phasma’s and Hux’s romantic tastes ran contrary to one another. _Thank the Force for gays._ It was a relief to know that she wasn’t scheming to steal his boyfriend.  
  
Kylo tilted his head toward Mitaka. “Are you ready?”  
  
Mitaka gave a small nod and swallowed nervously. He closed his eyes and crossed his hands over his chest as if lying in a coffin, then began to fall backward. Time seemed to proceed in slow motion as Mitaka fell. Kylo was torn between his options. He really should catch the man, but what if he didn’t? Mitaka had spent the meeting shamelessly flirting with Hux, and taking revenge, no matter how small, would certainly raise Kylo’s spirits. On the other hand, Hux would be livid. But on the _third_ hand (a couple of the Knights had four arms, and the saying had rubbed off on him), Hux was adorable when he was angry, and Kylo was always up for the challenge of calming him down.  
  
While Kylo was struggling with his choices, Mitaka hit the ground with a bloodcurdling shriek. A split second later, Hux latched onto Kylo’s arm and hauled him out of the room, shouting orders over his shoulder to continue the exercise.  
  
“What the kriff do you think you’re doing?” Hux hissed as soon as they were in the hallway. A couple of stormtroopers saw the pair arguing and opted to turn around and walk in the other direction.  
  
“It was an accident!” Kylo protested.  
  
Hux glared at him. “I may not be able to read your mind, but I damn well know when you’re lying.” When Kylo didn’t respond and only stared back silently, Hux continued. “You’ve diminished both my authority and yours in the eyes of the officers. You had a perfectly good chance to showcase the power of the Force —”  
  
“Showcase the power of the Force?” Kylo scoffed. “The Force is not some parlor trick! What your brown-nosing underlings think is of no concern to me.”  
  
“My underlings?” Hux echoed, raising an eyebrow. “So you targeted Lieutenant Mitaka specifically for some idiotic reason.”  
  
“Hux, do you know the origin of the term ‘brown-nosing’?” Kylo spoke slowly, carefully articulating each word. “Mitaka wants to kiss your ass, and I will not allow it. That’s my job.”  
  
Hux was speechless for a moment. Kylo could swear he was suppressing a smile. When he finally spoke, though, his voice was quiet and full of ice. “Careful, Ren, that your personal interests not interfere with orders from Leader Snoke.”  
  
“Yeah, like _Snoke_ told us to hold a team building meeting,” Kylo said sarcastically.  
  
“Actually, he did,” said Hux. He turned away from Kylo, scanned his access card to open the conference room door, and walked back inside. Kylo followed, unsure whether Hux was serious or not.  
  
The chatter in the room died down as Kylo and Hux re-entered. Mitaka visibly tensed. Hux returned to the center of the room to give instructions on the next exercise, while Kylo made a beeline for the table with the caf, but just as he reached it, he realized that he wasn’t keen on removing his helmet again to drink. He sullenly stomped back to the group, where Hux was nearing the end of his explanation.  
  
“Since we have an odd number, Kylo Ren will be the goal. Whichever team reaches him first is the winner. Now let’s rearrange some furniture.”  
  
Everyone sprang to work, and before long, the room looked like a disaster. The chairs and tables were placed more or less randomly, creating what looked to Kylo like some sort of obstacle course. He watched, bewildered, as the officers paired off, and one person in each pair donned a cloth blindfold. He was dismayed to see that Hux and Mitaka were paired, the former giving Kylo a stony glower before blindfolding himself.  
  
“Ready… Set… Spin your partner around three times and go!” shouted Hux.  
  
The pairs of officers began to fumble their way toward Kylo, the sighted partners shouting out directions while the blindfolded ones struggled to comply. The blond officer who had dropped Phasma earlier unwisely decided to sprint, which resulted in him sprawling across a table. Phasma was slowly but surely being guided into a wall. A brown-haired officer with her hair pulled back into a bun almost succeeded in touching his arm, but Kylo vaulted over a chair and escaped. Surprisingly, he found himself having fun — until he saw Hux and Mitaka.  
  
They had reached an impasse. There was a small gap between two tables, but it was blocked with a single chair. Mitaka was trying to talk Hux into climbing over the chair. Infuriatingly, he was gripping Hux’s arm in one of his grimy little claws. Kylo scanned the room. He was pretty sure physically guiding one’s partner was prohibited in the rules, as no other pair was doing it.  
  
Hux had one leg on the chair when a different brunette officer — Kylo briefly acknowledged that maybe he should learn some names — stumbled into Mitaka, causing a chain reaction. Mitaka yanked on Hux’s arm, causing Hux to overcompensate and shift more of his weight onto the chair, which started to tip. In alarm, Hux leapt backward into Mitaka, knocking him into the brunette. She gave Mitaka a hard shove, and he fell — right on top of Hux, their bodies tangled and their faces almost touching.  
  
Kylo erupted with rage. There was no deliberation in his actions, only pure instinct and a terrifying power fueled by the dark side of the Force. Without touching Mitaka, Kylo lifted him into the air by the throat and slammed him against the wall. Furniture flew out of his path as Kylo strode toward Mitaka, who was clutching at his neck and struggling to breathe.  
  
“Don’t. Ever. Touch. My boyfriend. Again.”  
  
He reached for Mitaka’s mind, but at the forefront, where he expected sheer terror, he found… curiosity? Kylo spread his awareness throughout the room. After displaying his mastery of the Force, Kylo was expecting to detect far more fear and far less amusement. He paused. Was it something he had said?  
  
_Oh. Kriff._  
  
Then Hux was at his side, one of his slender hands firmly gripping Kylo’s arm. “Release him.”  
  
Kylo let Mitaka fall into a trembling heap on the floor. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to run to his quarters — no, to his shuttle. He wanted to take the Upsilon on a very long, unsanctioned mission involving lots of killing. His face was uncomfortably warm. He could feel his eyes filling with tears. At least he was wearing the mask.  
  
Hux would no doubt be angry. They had both been adamant about keeping their relationship a secret. Would Hux break up with him to salvage his reputation?  
  
To Kylo’s amazement, Hux addressed the gawking officers. “Well, the loth-cat’s out of the bag. Kylo Ren and I have been dating for the past six months.” He casually slung an arm around Kylo’s waist. “This won’t affect our commitment to the First Order, but, as your superior officer, I want to make myself available to address any concerns you might have. So, any questions?”  
  
There were many, many questions, enough to fill the rest of the morning and their lunch break. The group’s results from their afternoon combat simulation were so far improved from previous years that Hux quipped to Kylo that maybe, for next year’s annual team building event, they would skip the exercises and just tell the officers the details of their relationship.  
  
“Ugh,” Kylo groaned. “Can we not think about next year’s team building meeting?” But privately, Kylo basked in the knowledge that Hux wanted their relationship to last.


End file.
